I've Been Tagged....too

Tammy tagged me to share 12 random things about myself that are Christmas related.
Here are the rules:
1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

12 Random Christmas Related things about Shana:

1. Every year right before Christmas, I get together with my mom, sister, aunts, and cousins to bake lots and lots of cookies to be given to friends and family (and ourselves). YUMMY

2. I'm thankful for those folks that spend 3 months putting up a massive (and maybe even tacky) Christmas light display......because our kids love seeing them and I sure won't do it. I like the more reserved 'pretty' lights. By the way, if you live around Dalton there is a HUGE, MASSIVE display right across from the entrance of Westside Elementary on Crider Rd. Its worth a drive by, the kids will love it.

3. I'm not like Tammy, I don't necessarily LOVE decorating, but I do LOVE it when everything is up, and I too, love staring at a lighted, decorated Christmas Tree.

4. My favorite decoration is the nativity set, and sadly, I don't have one yet. I've got my eye on the Willow Tree Nativity....who knows maybe Santa will bring it.

5. I love giving gifts, but each year, I try to be really thoughtful and I always have the lofty goal of giving that perfect gift that I know the recipient will love. I probably don't always succeed, but its not for lack of thought (if you don't believe me ask Tammy). This year, I might add, that I began to pray about what our gifts would be, and I must say, especially in regard to the kids, I am SUPER excited!!

6. I am wild about Christmas music. My favorite Christmas CDs are Amy Grant's "Home for Christmas" (old) and Mariah Carrey's "Merry Christmas" (also pretty old). But close behind are Point of Grace's (but I can't think of the name of it)

7. I am steeped in tradition, and I am insanely sentimental. I love doing the same things every year. We also read the Christmas story each year, and that has been done by my dad too, since I was very, very little. We will add the advent wreath to the traditions each year as well.

8. I really like the method my family has adopted for Christmas gift giving. We do Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh gifts (representations, not actual Myrrh and Frankinsense) and we do a family gift (something that we can all do together as a family). This has also helped us to keep perspective during the year.

9. I love receiving (and sending too, I guess) Christmas cards. Each day I go to the mailbox with much anticipation and I must admit, I'm bummed if we don't happen to get a card or too. Of course, my favorite's are picture cards.

10. My family, especially my family growing up could get in to some very rousing renditions of Christmas songs in the car.......especially The 12 Days of Christmas. I just taught that to Bryce & Sara Kate, it is now a most requested hit.

11. I collect snowmen....all kinds, I just think they're cute.

12. Brad's family does an annual "oyster stew" and fried oyster dinner each year for Christmas Eve, it's a tradition his side of the family loves. I don't like oysters, and neither do the kids, so we usually have shrimp; but I had never heard of that before I met him....and I think its kind of cool. Too bad I don't eat oysters.

All of my blogging friends were already tagged, I don't have any more bloggers to tag. So, does that make me "it"??

And by the way, I too wondered what the dreaded *m word was? If it was so dreaded, you'd think we would all have it figured out.